The present invention relates to removal of cancerous skin lesions, and more specifically, to automated methods and apparatus for removal of cancerous skin lesions.
When a skin lesion, such as a skin melanoma, is diagnosed as cancerous patients can undergo surgical procedures to have the affected tissue removed. To prevent or minimize recurrence and renewed growth of a skin lesion, it is often necessary to remove all of the cancerous tissue. For instance, in a procedure referred to as Mohs Surgery, a clinician removes a portion of a skin lesion, and with interaction with a pathology laboratory, determines whether further tissue should be removed in a subsequent surgical excision, which generally occurs in the same day. Sometimes multiple iterations of surgical procedures can be needed to remove affected tissue in its entirety.